Located on the well-trodden road up to Durham Cathedral, the Shakespeare is easy to miss. A small pub from the outside, first impressions on entering suggest that the bar you immediately see is all this one has to offer (and given it only takes a couple of people to fill it up, we're not surprised if many first timers turn around and leave straight away). But wait: walk through the bar and you'll find some more seating through the back (including a cosy snug): we're not talking a surprise of TARDIS dimensions, but this one is - just - bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. We're on classic pub territory here: for some, the bareness of the back rooms will be off-putting and if you really splitting hairs, you could say that the lack of bar access from the back just makes the bar area even busier. But to us, this just adds to the secretive, conspiratorial air of the place. When we visited, our fellow drinkers were a wider mix of gown and town than we expected, and as for the drinks, you'll find a reasonable selection of ales (we stuck to the Deuchars IPA). This one also has been known for some impromptu singalongs and claims to be the most haunted pub in Durham. We can't guarantee any contact with the spirit world, but we would say that this is an ideal pub to hide away in during the winter months: if you're giving it a look though, we say get there early, nab a spot, and stay there for the duration.